Choosing Paths
by Agent9
Summary: A slightly fluffy fanfic about Legolas, mainly, a new character, and the Fellowship. Not PG-13 until half-way through, but I thought I'd stick and be safe. Thanks and please R/R!
1. Default Chapter

Legolas stared out past the outer edges of Mirkwood. He sighed deeply as he gazed at the sun setting into night. It had been three years since the journey of the Fellowship to Mordor. Of course, they hadn't split their ways- they'd kept in touch, seeing each other regularly. But the Prince of Mirkwood had felt he'd had always been missing something, especially lately........  
  
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"Mi'lord, King Thranduil is looking for you. Please come with me," one of the king's faithful assistants announced to Legolas. Legolas, surprised at the interruption, scowled. iNow what? Has he found yet another mindless journey for me to travel or miserable woman to try and marry me?/i Legolas sighed deeply. It would prove to be a tiring night.  
  
"Ah, Legolas, there you are, my son. How are you doing on this eve?" King Thranduil greeted. "I have called upon you to inquire of something, something that could be dangerous."  
  
"Father, please, spare me everything and just get to your point," Legolas answered coldly. iI'm sick of all these games. Can't he just ever be abrupt?/i "If you plan to send me half-way around Middle-Earth again, I will not comply. And if this involves yet another idiotic, brainless elven girl," he spat, "you've got Orcs pushing the blood about in your brain."  
  
Thranduil stared at Legolas. "Do not speak to your elders in such a manner as you just spoke to me. The favor that I ask upon you is to travel to a small place named Hobbiton and stay with two companions named Aragorn and Gimli. Does this brush off any Orcs in iyour/i head?"  
  
"I am sorry, Father, for my pertiness. But I must ask something of you before I accept such a journey. No evil has come upon Middle-Earth since the war with Sauron and Saruman. Has this anything to do with a new enemy?" Legolas asked meekly. "I would do anything for my friends, but I'm not sure I'm ready for yet another bout of mortal peril."  
  
Thranduil sighed. He saw this coming on. "Son, there's something strange about in the place called The Shire. Something unknown to us has been stirring about, and Frodo and Gandalf have called us in for help. Samwise, Meriadoc, and Peregrin are oblivious to this as of yet, since Gandalf the Grey is somewhat against their knowing. I am wishing that you will accept this journey with another companion of Mirkwood, and hold and honor the name of Mirkwood."  
  
Legolas pondered deeply about this for a few silent moments. "Alright, father, I shall accept. I am doing this to keep the name of Mirkwood upheld and to save my friends from any mortal peril they may be facing," he answered after the seconds of silence. "May I ask you a question?"  
  
"You already asked a question, but yes, go on," Thranduil chuckled.   
  
Legolas smiled weakly. "Do you know if Aragorn and Gimli have accepted their invitations into the death trap?"  
  
"Why are you calling such a travel a 'death trap'? You have yet to find out if you will be in peril. Do not worry, we in your heart will guide you. And to answer your question, yes, both Aragorn and Gimli the dwarf have accepted." Thranduil answered boldly. "You are also to leave from Mirkwood on the 17 of Astron. Do you wish to know who your companion will be?"  
  
"Yes, Father, I would be grateful if you would tell me who my travelling partner is," Legolas answered.   
  
"Well, Legolas, your partner is to be Zedantha," the king told him, acting strangely preoccupied. "Zedantha is to go with you to console the wives of Peregrin and Samwise after their families realize the strange happenings in The Shire. She will also be of great help to you, as she has a good head on her shoulders and a strong sense of mind."  
  
Legolas had been trying to interrupt the whole time that Thranduil was telling him this. "But Father, this is impossible! She's... her! Zedantha is not going to be my companion. We have been forever arguing, since we were children. She's stubborn, annoying, independent, and too bossy. I refuse to be told where and when I can bathe," Legolas snorted.   
  
"Son, you bare/b going to be travelling with Zedantha- and that's the end of that. Unless you want her to go by herself, in which you can stay in a solitary room, sulking. And what's this about her being independent? I thought you disliked others who always depended on you to do things, babbling along the way?"  
  
"Fine, Father, I'll take Zedantha with me on the journey. But if she starts to grow tiresome to me on the first step of the path, it is back to her home she goes." Legolas grumbled. He was certainly not content having to take a female, and especially not Zedantha.  
  
"Ah, son, but what if it is different? What if she takes iyou/i on the journey? She's quite tougher than she looks." Thranduil spoke sharply to his son. It would prove to him that his son wasn't always on top of things. iIf Legolas is sent back here in shreds by the first ten minutes of the journey, I shall know why../i Thranduil thought to himself. "Do you have anything else to ask of me? If not, you are dismissed."  
  
"Nothing more, Father," Legolas answered crisply, bowing low. To himself, he scowled. Just what he needed. A tag-a-long to get in the way. 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I hold no claim to any of the LotR characters, places, or the Fellowship. I only hold claim to Zedantha- steal her and die.  
  
A/N: I have not completed reading the entire trilogy (half way through the Two Towers) so things may be slightly off. Please R/R! No bites please.  
  
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It was the eve of the 17 of Astron. Tomorrow is going to be the first and the last day of my journey to Hobbiton, both Legolas and Zedantha thought. Neither of them knew that the other one was thinking the same exact things.... they didn't have such a clue as of how much they really had in common.....  
  
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"Zedantha! It is time to ride over to the palace to meet Prince Legolas!" Her mother, Lostdringiel, announced bright and early on the 17th.  
  
Ugh, don't remind me Mother! Zedantha thought. This journey's going to be like eating an Orc or some other despicable... thing. PRINCE Legolas with his stuck-up attitude, I'm-Prince-of-Mirkwood theme carrying on. I'm surprised he didn't throw a temper tantrum at the thought of going with me on the journey. Maybe he did... and I just don't know it. He's so ignorant for a royal Elf.   
  
Zedantha said her goodbyes to her tearful mother and her proud father. She whispered quietly to herself as she walked across paths and by trees, upset at the fact of being in the "graces" of Prince Legolas. If only he could be anything like King Thranduil- gentle, caring, respectful, generous, and kind, she thought. Zedantha sighed deeply. And this being the first day, too. I'm going to be sending him flying a field by the end of today.  
  
And yet little did she know that Legolas felt even worse. He felt remorseful and angry towards the king for sending him packing with an ungraceful wretch for a she-Elf. She'll never keep up with me, even on horse, he thought grouchily. And on foot? She'd wake up a hobbit with her heavy, loud footsteps. She'll be packing right home at the end of today- once I get through with her.  
  
It was nearing the mid-morn when Zedantha came upon the house of Legolas. She was stopped at the gate for questioning, then passed her way through to meet Legolas in one of his waiting chambers. She pondered while she waited. Well at least he has classy taste in decorating his chambers. For one so pessimistic, he doesn't seem the one to be having pale greens and ivorys for his colors.   
  
Suddenly, Legolas burst through the door. "Are you ready to go? Because if you aren't, I do not plan to wait for you," he announced loudly.   
  
"Yes, I am ready, and I thought that was no way for a 'prince' to speak," Zedantha replied scornfully. "I thought 'princes' were supposed to be charming, witty, and polite- everything you're not."  
  
"Oh, thanks!" Legolas said sarcastically. "Can we just get a move on? If we don't talk to each other until absolutely necessary, I think our lives would be much more simpler."   
  
"Fine. Horses?"   
  
"Packed and ready," Legolas answered. "Come."  
  
The two Elves unhappily walked down the path to find their horses waiting under an elm tree. Zedantha patted her horse on the nose and then limberly leaped on to the horse in one smooth, graceful motion. Legolas stood before her, completely bemused. He had always thought she was a clumsy one, one who was never blessed to have the graceful, syncopated motions that most Elves carried with them. She proved me wrong this time- and it'll be the only time, he thought. He matched her in bounded up onto his horse and rode off. Zedantha caught up with him, and matched him stride for stride. Legolas almost grinned in spite of their past arguments. Wait a second, he thought. Am I crazy? She's the opponent, in this case. She may be a tough one, but she won't be able to stay focused with me herding her around Middle-Earth.  
  
They stopped for a noon meal, silently albeit, then continued on their way. The two of them stopped for the night near a field filled rich with trees, and they realized the hard part- sleeping quarters. It was still chilly for the season, and it became very cold after dusk. Legolas began to worry. What are we to do? If we sleep a few feet apart, we'll be freezing before morn. If we sleep together, he thought disgustedly, we'll be mortified. What are we to do. Zedantha had no idea. She thought that Legolas would have at least remembered to pack a warming liquid into their packs, or some extra clothing. Little did she know that she was either going to freeze that night or be completely horrified. Soon Legolas stated their conditions to her.   
  
"Zedantha, I'll set it straight to you. We either freeze seperately or humiliate each other together. What do you want to do? I would like to be a little bit warmer tonight, but it's up to you," Legolas stated.   
  
What? Zedantha thought. Is he really implying that he's rather sleep together than alone, cold? I thought there was something wrong with him; now I'm sure of it.  
  
"Well I suppose it's better to be warmer. But can't we make a fire? It's cold out, and heat is the best method of warming," she spoke, after silently thinking.   
  
"The only thing is that there's plenty of brittle, dry bark and twigs around here- it's too dangerous and would start a fire," Legolas responded glumly. "Is it together then?"  
  
"Together it is," Zedantha replied, no more happier than he was. Soon they had packed their things away safely for the night and got under a blanket, huddling next to each other. They fell asleep staring at each other, sleeping in the eerie, open-eyed, dreamless sleep that Elves generally hold. The next morn, they woke up to find themselves clustered together, limbs entwined.  
  
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(A/N: Don't get ANY ideas. Nothing happened that night. *w* Sheesh, it's only PG-13!) 


End file.
